This article describes steps you can take to add or remove Remote Desktop users in Windows 11.
Microsoft Remote Desktop is a tool that lets you remotely connect to another PC from anywhere. By default, Remote Desktop comes with Windows, so no actions are needed. However, you must enable it to use it.
When you turn on Remote Desktop, users will be able to connect to your PC and have access to all of your apps, files, and network resources as if you were sitting at your desk.
Users that you want to access your PC must be added to the Remote Desktop Users group. The built-in administrator account with a password and members of the administrators’ group are automatically allowed to use Remote Desktop in Windows 11.
If you want additional users to access your PC via remote desktop, then you must add them to the Remote Desktop Users group, and the steps below show you how.
Add or remove Remote Desktop users using Windows Settings app
As mentioned above, the remote desktop comes with Windows, so no actions are needed. However, you must enable it to use it.
To allow users to access your PC via Remote Desktop, you must add them to the necessary group. Below is how to do that using the Windows Settings app.
First, open the Settings app. You can also use the keyboard shortcut (Windows key + I). When the Settings app opens, select the System button on the left.
On the right, select the Remote Desktop tile to expand.
On the System -> Remote Desktop settings pane, select the Remote Desktop users tile to open the Remote Desktop Users properties window.
On the System -> Remote Desktop -> Remote Desktop Users properties window, click the Add to add users to use Remote Desktop Users group.
If a user is already added, select the user from the list and click Remove to remove the user.
On the Select Users pop-up window, click on the Advanced button. If you know the user account name, you can type it in the box and click OK. However, the Advanced button allows you to list all accounts and choose which ones to add.
On the expanded Advanced window, click the Find Now button, then select the user account on the list and OK -> OK.
The user should be added to the Remote Desktop Users group. Click OK and exit the Settings app.
Add or remove remote desktop users using the Control Panel
Alternatively, one could use the classic Control Panel app to add or remove Remote Desktop users. To do that, first, open the Control Panel app.
When the Control Panel app opens, go to Control Panel -> System and Security. Under System, select the Allow remote access link.
Control Panel -> System and Security
On the System Properties window, click the Select Users button.
Repeat the steps above to add or remove users from the Remote Desktop Users group.
Add or remove remote desktop users using the Local Users and Group
Yet, another way to add or remove Remote Desktop users is to use the Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc) applet.
Use the search box to search for “lusrmgr.msc“.
When the console opens, select Groups on the left, and double-click the Remote Desktop Users group to open it.
When the Remote Desktop Users group properties window opens, click the Add to add additional users or select and Remove an existing user from the group.
Add or remove remote desktop users using the Command Prompt
If you want to use the Command Prompt to add or remove Remote Desktop users, then use the commands below.
First, open Windows Terminal, and use the Command Prompt tab as administrator. Then use the command format below:
Add a user to the Remote Desktop Users group.
net localgroup "Remote Desktop Users" "UserName" /add
Ex:
net localgroup "Remote Desktop Users" "Grandma" /add
Remove a user from the Remote Desktop Users group.
net localgroup "Remote Desktop Users" "UserName" /delete
Ex:
net localgroup "Remote Desktop Users" "Grandma" /delete
Use PowerShell to add or remove users from the remote desktop users’ group
Add:
Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Remote Desktop Users" -Member "UserName"
Remove:
Remove-LocalGroupMember -Group "Remote Desktop Users" -Member "UserName"
That should do it!
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to add or remove users from the Remote Desktop Users group in Windows 11. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.
